Mark Owen > Quotes

“There is no honor in sending men to die for something you won't even fight for yourself”
― Mark Owen, No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission That Killed Osama Bin Laden

“Don't just live, but live for a purpose bigger than yourself. Be an asset to your family, community, and country.”
― Mark Owen, No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission That Killed Osama Bin Laden

“Just get to lunch,” I muttered to myself.
It was the only way I could control my anxiety. In 1998, I’d made it through Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL, or BUD/S, by focusing on just making it to the next meal. It didn’t matter if I couldn’t feel my arms as we hoisted logs over our heads or if the cold surf soaked me to the core. It wasn’t going to last forever. There is a saying: “How do you eat an elephant?” The answer is simple: “One bite at a time.” Only my bites were separated by meals: Make it to breakfast, train hard until lunch, and focus until dinner. Repeat.”
― Mark Owen, No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission That Killed Osama Bin Laden

“Staying in my three-foot world became a mantra for me. It is liberating once you let go of the things you can't control. It seems to work for just about any situation.”
― Mark Owen

“I learned there that the key was first to prioritize all the individual stressors and then act. I break it all down into the little things I can manage. The stressors that I can't affect, I don't worry about. The ones I can affect, I simply deal with one at a time.”
― Mark Owen

“There is no honor in sending people to die for something you won’t even fight for yourself.”
― Mark Owen, No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission That Killed Osama Bin Laden

“Only focus on your three-foot world,” he said. “Focus on what you can affect.”
― Mark Owen, No Hero: The Evolution of a Navy SEAL

“[to Navy SEALs] Quite frankly, I didn't even want to use you guys, with your dip and velcro and all your gear bullshit. I wanted to drop a bomb. But people didn't believe in this lead enough to drop a bomb. So they're using you guys as canaries. And, in theory, if bin Laden isn't there, you can sneak away and no one will be the wiser. But bin Laden is there. And you're going to kill him for me.”
― Mark Owen, No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission That Killed Osama Bin Laden

“The rule is, “When in doubt, load it out.” Of course the more you carry, the greater a toll it takes on your body, the slower you move, the harder it is to react quickly to a threat.”
― Mark Owen, No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission That Killed Osama Bin Laden

“We were tools in their toolbox, and when things go well they promote it. They inflate their roles.”
― Mark Owen, No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission That Killed Osama Bin Laden

“None of us were huge fans of Obama. We”
― Mark Owen, No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission That Killed Osama Bin Laden

“The SEAL motto, “The only easy day was yesterday,”
― Mark Owen, No Hero: The Evolution of a Navy SEAL

“It is liberating once you let go of the things that you can’t control.”
― Mark Owen, No Hero: The Evolution of a Navy SEAL

“The only easy day was yesterday.”
― Mark Owen, No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission That Killed Osama Bin Laden

“When you’re more experienced and have been in the car crash a million times, and have made mistakes and learned from them, everything slows down and something as small as shoes can stand out.”
― Mark Owen, No Hero: The Evolution of a Navy SEAL

“ordered two crispy tacos, a bean burrito, and a medium Pepsi. At”
― Mark Owen, No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission That Killed Osama Bin Laden

“When we make mistakes, we try again and again and again until we get it right. We’re not superheroes. We’re just committed.”
― Mark Owen, No Hero: The Evolution of a Navy SEAL

“You always want someone in your professional life who is going to be honest, who’s going to call you on your bullshit.”
― Mark Owen, No Hero: The Evolution of a Navy SEAL

“can still remember watching the guys drag his body down the stairs. I”
― Mark Owen, No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission That Killed Osama Bin Laden

“The higher up the food chain the targeted individual was, the bigger a pussy he was.”
― Mark Owen, No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission That Killed Osama Bin Laden

“As I walked past the houses, I was sure my neighbors were thinking about summer vacation plans, bills, or what baseball game they were going to watch that night. It struck me how wide the chasm was between what was going on in Afghanistan and what was happening at home. I knew my neighbors cared and supported the troops, but they had no idea what it was”
― Mark Owen, No Hero: The Evolution of a Navy SEAL

“There is no “secret sauce,” but there is a lot of hard work, dedication, and drive.”
― Mark Owen, No Hero: The Evolution of a Navy SEAL

“Staying in my three-foot world became a mantra for me. It is liberating once you let go of the things that you can’t control.”
― Mark Owen, No Hero: The Evolution of a Navy SEAL

“Don’t just live, but live for a purpose bigger than yourself. Be an asset to your family, community, and country.”
― Mark Owen, No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission That Killed Osama Bin Laden

“The leaders were less willing to fight. It is always the young and impressionable who strap on the explosives and blow themselves up.”
― Mark Owen, No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission That Killed Osama Bin Laden

“I knew he was ready, and we entered the hallway. I shouldered my rifle and squeezed off several rounds to make sure he was down. The”
― Mark Owen, No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission That Killed Osama Bin Laden

“I’d failed my first hooded box test at S&T, but the lesson learned wasn’t one I’d forget. Assess, prioritize, and act.”
― Mark Owen, No Hero: The Evolution of a Navy SEAL

“If it was true, it didn’t matter if it was SEALs, Delta, or Special Forces. They were teammates in the same fight.”
― Mark Owen, No Hero: The Evolution of a Navy SEAL

“One of the guys screening had been a Naval Academy swimmer and was well ahead of me, but I was in second place. I kept pulling,”
― Mark Owen, No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission That Killed Osama Bin Laden

“I had no idea if the photos [of Osama bin Laden's dead body] would ever be made public, and I didn't care.”
― Mark Owen, No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission That Killed Osama Bin Laden